


When the Moon Rises

by tricodeku



Series: Childhood Friends AU [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha Keith (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood and Injury, Cute boys, Fluff, Halloween, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, M/M, Omega James Griffin (Voltron), Omega Shiro (Voltron), POV Multiple, Supernatural Elements, alpha adam (Voltron), but minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24206758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tricodeku/pseuds/tricodeku
Summary: Basically a fic where Keith, James, Shiro and Adam are all kids and go on different adventures together. Naturally, chaos ensues.
Relationships: Adam & James Griffin (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron), James Griffin/Keith (Voltron)
Series: Childhood Friends AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1747147
Comments: 18
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for checking out my fic!! In this story James and Keith are 12, and Shiro and Adam are 16. (at least for now~) I've never written abo before so if things seem weird I probably just applied my own rules to it hahaha
> 
> Anyways happy reading!!

Gray clouds circled over the tall trees, thin and bare of any leaves. From his point of view, they almost looked like dark needles, stretching and branching out in every direction. To anyone else, it might have been creepy, along with the several crows cawing and flying around noisily, but to Keith he was used to it. Their town was always gray and dull, chilly even during the summer months, but it acted like a comfort to him– it was familiar. It was all Keith ever knew.

He brought his eyes back down to the leaf-covered forest ground, to another familiar, albeit warmer sight. James. The brown-haired omega was sitting down with his back against the tree, book in his hands and all his attention on the words printed there. He didn't know he was here. It made Keith smile– James always read a book while he was waiting for him after school, and today was no different. Keith adjusted the jack-o'-lantern mask over his head, making sure it was snug. He knew he shouldn't have been doing this, but at the same time he couldn't help himself.

Keith emerged from the trees, making his presence known with a loud 'BOO!' to scare the other. James immediately gasped at the frightening mask, and recoiled, startled.

"Keith! Don't do that!" He chided, throwing an old eraser over his head which Keith ducked. He laughed softly through the mask, but it was muffled. James was not pleased at all with him, but he looked so cute when he was scared.

"What do you think?" Keith said, taking the jack-o'-lantern off his head. "It's perfect for Halloween, isn't it?"

James shifted in his spot, closing his book and furrowing his perfect brows. "If you keep scaring me like that, I won't be going with you,"

The threat from the boy was real, and Keith quickly apologized with a soft chuckle. "Okay, okay. I won't do it anymore. Promise."

James gave him a suspicious hum, but he stood up anyway and dusted himself off, picking his backpack up in the process. "Did you turn in your homework to Miss Holt?"

Keith adjusted his own backpack around his shoulders, and he stuffed the jack-o'-lantern mask back inside. He cringed at James' words. The brunet was always making sure that Keith turned in his things on time, because he wanted him to succeed. Although it was a sweet sentiment, he couldn't always keep up with the nerdy omega. "Not exactly," he muttered, as they started walking back to their houses. "I was gonna ask my pop about some of the questions first. Did you?" He already knew what he was going to say– James was nothing but studious and the perfect student, but it didn't hurt to ask.

He nodded as he kept walking. "Matt asked if he and his friends could borrow it beforehand to check their answers, but they said they'd turn it in for me."

Keith let out an incredulous half-laugh-half-scoff, and he smirked. "Are you kidding, Jamie? You know they're just gonna copy off you, right?" He knew his friend could be naive sometimes, but not _this_ naive. There wasn't anyone in their school that wouldn't kill for any of James' or Leif's assignments.

The worried expression that fell over the omega's face told him he _did_ believe they weren't gonna copy. "...I didn't think about that," He said honestly, and Keith nudged him in the ribs.

"I'm surprised _you_ of all people are helping others cheat," he snickered playfully, but James didn't think it was very funny, his lips curling into a pout. He looked even _more_ worried.

"Keith, don't say that! What if I get in trouble?" True horror painted his features, and Keith shrugged one shoulder.

"So what? At least we'll be together in detention," he said simply, to James' chagrin. The other let out a soft whine of his name, but he could see the amused smile tugging at his lips.

Keith picked up his pace on the wide gravel road leading to his house. "Come on, don't think about that right now. Last one to my place is a rotten egg!" And without another word they were both off, running until both of their legs were burning from the exertion.

James reached the white gate first, only because Keith slowed down at the last minute. Sure, winning was rewarding, but seeing the omega bounce around happily was even more so. When he reached him too, he playfully tackled the other to the ground, letting him land on the soft grass with an "unff".

He squirmed underneath his weight, and they laughed as he thrashed his legs. "I still beat you!" James said, struggling playfully in his grip. He made an effort to get up, but Keith pinned him down easily, watching as a soft blush creeped up his olive skin. Keith lowered his head towards the scent gland there, taking in the scent of the freshly presented omega. 

James smelled so sweet like always– like sugar and baked bread– and he couldn't resist taking it all in with a deep inhale. It was so different from his own smoky firewood smell, and he adored it. Even since they were as young as five everyone knew James would be an omega– if his personality didn't cut it, his sweet, pungent smell was a dead giveaway.

Keith dragged his teeth over the exposed skin of James' neck, the alpha in him begging his rational mind to bite and mark the omega as his. It was often that they played rough, but the instinctual need in him never went away, making him dizzy with want. James still squirmed underneath him, face flushed red and whining. He couldn't help himself. He had to mark him! He had to –

A deep, southern drawl cut through the air, and Keith paused to look up at his dad, standing at the porch with an alarmed, but vexed expression.

"Keith! I told you to get those teeth away from that boy's neck! I swear I'll call his mother if you don't stop!"

He begrudgingly did as he was told, and Keith grumbled as he got off James. His dad was no fun. 

"Crazy kid," he heard as he went back inside, and Keith got to his feet.

"Let's do something else," Keith said, dropping his backpack to the floor. James only dusted himself off, his face still a bit pink.

"I actually have an errand to do with my mom. But I can be back by dinner," He said with a smile, and Keith nodded. 

"Don't take too long."

He waved goodbye at his friend, and Keith marched back inside the house. He already couldn't wait for James to come back, so he decided he would make them food in the meantime. James' mom always made them blueberry muffins when he went over to his house, so he also wanted to make a treat they could share.

Keith walked into the kitchen, and he took out a loaf of bread from the pantry, and ham and cheese and other ingredients from the fridge. His pop ruffled his hair when he saw him.

"That for Jamie?"

"Yeah. He's gonna come over later," Keith answered, adding extra mayo to the bread.

His dad nodded, and put his cell phone into his pocket. "That's a nice boy, right there, Keith. Don't go scarin' him off, okay?"

"I won't," Keith said assuredly, and he got a small knife out of the cupboard. James always liked his sandwiches cut in triangles.

He was confused when his dad slipped into his work boots. "Where are you going?"

"I have to go do some work at the station, so I'll be leavin' you with a sitter, okay? I want you to be nice to him."

Keith almost dropped the knife to the floor in his shock. A _babysitter?_ "I don't need a babysitter!" He argued, brows fiercely knitted together. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself _and_ James, thank you very much.

But despite his protest, his dad only ruffled his hair some more. "I know, kit. I have faith in you. But I don't know if Jamie's mom would feel too comfortable with me leavin' you two alone."

Keith felt himself deflate. "Oh." He guessed that made sense. James' mom _was_ always the type to worry.

"He's gonna be here any minute, so treat 'im with respect. Call me if you need anything. And _NO_ biting anyone's necks!"

Keith fought the urge to roll his eyes. Jeez, he'd only tried to mark James like five times now– it wasn't a big deal. Ten? Now _that_ would be a big deal. He said okay and went back to making his sandwiches as his dad left with a goodbye.

Sure enough about two minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Keith raced to open it, after telling Kosmo to settle down with all his barking.

It was definitely _not_ who he'd been expecting.

He'd been waiting for someone dull and old, maybe one of his dad's teacher or firefighter friends, but this wasn't it at all– instead on his porch was a boy, maybe four or five years older than him, with a big, white smile and black hair with a fringe that just brushed over his eyes. The boy was considerably taller than him too, and wore a black and white jersey with the number 13 on it. Keith was immediately hit with the smell of rain and the outdoors, tinged with an undertone of something sweet like coffee and milk.

Keith quickly realized he was an _omega._

He absentmindedly wondered if he'd ever seen him before– he looked so familiar! But he needed to say something first.

"Um. Hey..." He said slowly, and he creaked the door open some more.

The boy smiled at him in return. "Hi, you're Keith right? My name is Takashi Shirogane, but you can call me Shiro."

Shiro.

His grey eyes were soft and kind, and Keith found himself repeating the name under his breath. _This_ was his babysitter? "I didn't think you were gonna be a kid," Keith stated bluntly, and Shiro rubbed the back of his head somewhat sheepishly.

"Yeah, I hope that it's okay with you. Can I come in?"

Keith stepped aside to let him in, and Shiro took his shoes off right away. At least he had some manners. He squinted his eyes at the other. He swore he'd seen him somewhere before. "Do we go to the same school?"

Shiro nodded as he looked around his house. "Yup. I also play football. You should come watch our team sometime!"

Keith blinked. Football? Of course– he was probably one of those popular quarterbacks Matt liked to watch so much. He couldn't believe it. Already his sitter– this popular quarterback– was inviting him places, and they only just met! He was reminded of James when they first talked, and how eager he had been to become friends. Keith only ever had a handful, as socializing wasn't his forte, but it was nice to be liked. Especially by someone so cool-looking.

"Okay…" Keith managed, and he walked back to the kitchen somewhat warily. As much as Shiro seemed cool on the outside, he hoped he wasn't a lame babysitter on the inside.

"So what do you want to do? We can watch a movie if you want," came Shiro's voice from the living room, while Keith was finishing his snacks.

"My friend James is coming over later," Keith said quietly, and he wrapped the remaining sandwiches up in plastic.

Shiro turned to him with a smile. "That's alright. We can choose a movie that he likes, so he can watch it when he comes." He dropped to one knee, searching for the correct movie in the cupboard to put on.

Shiro was surprisingly nice, and Keith smiled to himself.

"What about Gremlins?" He held it up so Keith could see, and he nodded.

"He likes that one."

After the movie was put on, Keith sat down on the couch as he impatiently waited for his friend. The clock said it was only four, and James was supposed to be back by six.

"Why don't we make some movie snacks in the meantime?" Shiro offered, with a large smile gracing his lips. Upon closer inspection, he could see he had a band-aid over the bridge of his nose.

Keith arched an eyebrow at him. "You can cook?"

"Sure thing! My friend Adam taught me how. Just stay here while I get some pizza rolls ready."

Well, he wasn't about to complain about that.

Keith's eyes returned to the television as the previews started, letting his cheek rest on his hand. He hated when James wasn't around– usually it got so lonely without his dad, but he supposed having Shiro here helped. At least from dying from boredom.

"Do you have milk?" Shiro asked from the kitchen, and Keith drew his eyebrows together in confusion. Why did Shiro need milk to make pizza rolls? Was he even qualified for this babysitting job?

Before he could answer, Keith heard a knock at the door, and he immediately got up to investigate. Not bothering to tell Shiro, he looked through the peephole himself, and saw that it was another kid, about Shiro's age.

He opened the door, and was met with stern brown eyes looking at him through black-rimmed glasses. His scent was so pungent he could immediately tell it was an alpha– he smelled of fresh parchment, and coffee beans... strangely like Shiro, but it was bitter, probably as a result of the vexed look on his face. What was he doing here?

"What do you want?" Keith said annoyedly, poking his head out to face the irritated boy. Didn't he know this was his house?

He shooed Kosmo away with his foot as he curiously nosed at the stranger, who only gazed at him with disinterest.

"Is Shiro here?"

Keith lifted an eyebrow, and he scrutinized the other. "Yeah? Who's asking?"

"Keith? Who is that?"

He could hear Shiro coming to the door, so he opened it slightly wider. "Dunno, some bland nerd." James was a _much_ cuter nerd– that was for certain.

_"Excuse me?"_

Shiro opened the door, and Keith was surprised when recognition fell over his expression. "Adam? What are you doing here?"

_Adam?_

Whoops.

"Matt said that you would be here. I wanted to make sure if you needed any help," he said simply, lips still in a straight line. Keith had a feeling this guy _never_ smiled.

Shiro's face turned pink, and he held the spoon he was cooking with closer to his chest. "I- I'm fine, but I'm still so happy you came! Keith, It's okay if Adam stays here for a bit, right? He's my um- good friend."

 _Good friend_?

Keith wanted to pinch his nose from the bitterness coming off of Adam. How could someone like Shiro even hang out with such an alpha? Whatever– if it was gonna kill his boredom, then the more the merrier. He turned back to the living room without a second glance at the alpha. "I don't care, I'm just waiting for James."

He stopped when a different stench reached his nose.

"What's that burning smell?" Said Adam, furrowing his brows further.

Next to him, Shiro's face went pale. "Oh no. Um, I was trying to cook something…"

The three rushed into the kitchen, and found that the omega had caused the oven to start smoking. Keith's jaw fell at the sight. "What the–?! _Shiro!_ " God, he hoped _he_ didn't get blamed for this.

Adam immediately turned the oven off, coughing as he did so and pulling the door open carefully. The 'pizza rolls' he had tried to make were as black as coal, crumbling to bits like they were made of dust. Keith only raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Shiro, I told you to not cook when I'm not with you," Adam said softly, a sympathetic grin forming on his face. He didn't seem mad at all, but– why would he? It wasn't even his oven.

Shiro curled in on himself embarrassedly, looking much smaller despite his height. "I thought I could handle it…"

"I'll clean this mess up while you wash up. Then Keith can help me make something else."

"And why would I do that?" Keith said, almost instinctively.

That earned him a raised eyebrow from the brunet. "Do you not want to eat?"

Keith huffed, but he couldn't ignore the way his stomach was growling for food. Fine. He would help Shiro's annoying friend. But only because he wasn't making him clean.

After everything was sparkling again and the spoiled pizza rolls were in the trash, Keith joined Adam in making a proper meal of spaghetti and meatballs. It was surprisingly delicious, and the three of them ate contently on the large island of the kitchen. Adam was a much better chef than Shiro– and for once he appreciated it. Maybe he could be his second babysitter, and always cook meals for them like this, he thought as he brought some more pasta into his mouth. The movie playing in the living room was already halfway over, but Keith was getting bored.

"Let's do something else. You guys wanna play Mario Kart?" Keith put down his fork and slipped out of his seat, heading towards his game consoles.

"No way– Shiro is too competitive." Adam said boredly, twirling the utensil in his fingers. Said omega was already abandoning his plate, a wild, excited look in his eyes that told Keith Adam was telling the truth.

"But it'll be more fun with three players," Shiro said, grabbing one of the controllers Keith handed to him.

"No thanks, I'll just watch."

Keith rolled his eyes, and he twisted to give Adam a taunting look. "Leave him– he's probably just scared he'll end up in last place,"

As soon as the words left his lips, Adam's eyes turned dark, and he let the fork drop down onto the plate. Keith knew he won when the alpha marched towards the couch, and he scooted so he could sit down.

" _One_ race."

xxx

Their one race ended up turning into three, and then that turned into six, until all three of them were sprawled on the couch and floor eating leftover chips. Adam, Keith found out, was actually not as much of a bland nerd as he initially thought– and he even got him to smile a few times while they were playing. It felt good, having two new friends to hang out with– that is, until Adam somehow got into first place, leaving him dragging into second. Shiro came in third.

Keith gripped the controller in his hands tightly, feeling a surge of anger in his chest. "What?! You cheated!" He accused.

" _What?_ How could I have cheated?" Came Adam's incredulous voice, as the golden cup popped up on the screen. Kosmo lifted his head up lazily from his bed at the commotion.

Keith huffed as he tossed the controller to the side. "I dunno, but somehow you did."

"Whatever, I think you're just jealous."

"Not true!"

Their bickering was put to a halt as the doorbell rang, and Keith only slumped back into the couch in defeat. "Shiro, can you get the door?"

"Sure thing."

He sighed as he stared at the loading screen of the game, feeling like he had forgotten something. He had cleaned his room and fed Kosmo, so what–

The familiar smell of sugar and baked bread met his nose, and Keith shot up in his seat. James!

He raced towards the door, following Kosmo who was already running there with a wagging tail. As he opened it wider, the scent was stronger, mixed with confusion from the young omega.

"Keith? Who's this guy?" James asked, eyeing Shiro who was next to him. The _omega_ next to him. A wary expression painted his features, and his arched eyebrow told him a million thoughts were going through his head. It couldn't be good.

"Jamie. This is my, uh, babysitter, I guess. His name is Shiro." Although it was embarrassing and it made the tips of his ears hot, he had to tell him the truth. "My pop had to go to the station."

James' eyes glanced between them, and then to inside of the house. "Oh. And you guys are playing video games?"

He said it so softly, like he was sad he'd been left out, and Keith quickly moved out of the way to let him in. "You can play too."

"Oh, uh, It's nice to meet you," Shiro said kindly, when Keith nudged him in the ribs. He extended his hand and James gingerly took it, shaking it once or twice. "Keith told me you were gonna come. We have food and Adam's gonna make popcorn in a bit."

"Adam?"

Shiro gestured towards the other boy still on the couch, but he was too busy looking at the screen to notice either of them. Keith grabbed James' hand and he pulled him towards the television. "Come on! Now that we have four players, we can quadruple our fun."

James' voice turned into a whisper at that. "A-are you sure? I don't even _know_ them, Keith."

But he sat him down on the couch next to Adam anyway, thrusting a controller into his hands. James dipped his head, but he held the object close anyway. Adam only gave him a glance, but he said nothing.

"I'm totally gonna kick your ass now," Keith announced, as he plopped himself back on the couch.

Adam let out a scoff that could have been a laugh. "You wish."

xxx

They played video games together until Keith eventually got first place, and the sun had already gone down and painted the sky in a deep blue. The light of the television was the only thing keeping him awake, aside from Shiro's occasional whines when Keith hit him with a red shell. Adam had grown tired of playing and was enjoying his soda, but James had already gone to sleep, leaning against the arm of the sofa and a pillow. It wasn't long before a key unlocked the front door, and his pop went inside to find the four boys in the living room.

Little words were exchanged between them, except his dad asking Shiro if he behaved and when they could meet again, as well as if James could sleep over. Unfortunately he had to go home, but maybe he could some other day. When all the other boys were gone, Keith let himself be tucked into bed by his pop.

"Didya have fun today while I was gone?" He asked, with a warm smile that made Keith soft.

He nodded.

"Yeah, Shiro _wasn't_ a lame babysitter like I thought at first."

His dad chuckled and brought up the covers to his chest. "I'm glad you did. You didn't bite no omegas today, right?"

Keith shook his head. "No, but Jamie's gonna be my omega someday anyway," he declared casually. Because it was the truth.

His dad's face immediately went pale, and Keith could practically see the sweat starting to bead at his temple. ( _Christ, the nerve of this kid!_ ) After the strange look passed, he smiled softly at him. "Well, we'll get there when we get there, alright kit?"

He planted a kiss on his forehead, and wished him goodnight. After the lights were turned off, Keith closed his eyes, and he let the comforting feeling of sleep overcome him.

xxx

James chewed on his bottom lip, bringing his hands up to his face so he could rest his chin on them. His mind kept going back to the day before– when he went to do an errand with his mom. After heading back to Keith's house excitedly and wanting to play, he hadn't been expecting the other omega that was already there.

He was tall, and good-looking, and James would be lying if he said it didn't make him a bit jealous. After all, Keith had made plans with _him_ and he didn't say anything about a babysitter. And inviting his other friend too? Why would he do that when Keith was expecting him? Was he not good enough for the alpha and seriously needed the company of another person?

He shook his head at the thought– no, that wasn't fair. Keith was allowed to have other friends, just like he was allowed to hang out with Nadia, and Kinkade– both alphas that he liked as friends. Jealousy was a wasteful emotion that only caused more problems. Keith meant a lot to James, and he meant a lot to Keith. It was evident in how they hung out every day, and told each other everything. He wasn't gonna ruin that by being a bit jealous.

So that's why he was here– sitting and watching the football game that he and Keith had been invited to. James wasn't a particular fan of the sport, but he wanted to be a good friend. Even if that meant sitting next to an alpha that he didn't know, that smelled of coffee and parchment and wore a stern look on his face.

Although James had had fun while they were playing video games– he still found Adam somewhat intimidating, because of his height, age, and his stoicism. He was strangely calm for an alpha too, but he supposed he would still try to be friends with him– after all, he _was_ James Griffin and there wasn't one person that he wasn't friends with. He was determined to be his friend– whether Adam liked it or not!

Keith stood up on the metal bleachers to whoop and cheer for Shiro on the field. The omega waved to him with that same large smile on his face. James shyly turned to Adam next to him, who was leaned back against the steps. "So, how do you know Shiro?" 

The brunet raised an eyebrow at him, but he kept his gaze on the football players. "We've known each other since we were little, and then went to the same elementary school together."

James let his mouth part in a small 'o'. Just like Keith and him! "Do you guys hang out most of the time?"

"Only when he's not riding his bike off cliffs," Adam said, frowning like it had happened far too often before. It made James smile– Keith was the same, always doing daredevil stunts and dragging James along with him. With how many scrapes and bruises he'd gotten on his legs because of their adventures, it was a wonder that his mom still let him go to his house.

"Maybe we can all go biking together sometime," Said James, holding his breath for Adam's answer. The other looked surprised behind his glasses, but he finally turned to face him with mild interest.

"Yeah, maybe," he replied, and then went right back to watching the game.

Well. It wasn't the answer that he had been expecting, but it was good enough for James. They could get to know each other better.

He smiled as Keith offered him some more nachos, and he gratefully brought them into his mouth.

Yeah, they were going to become friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, kudos and comments are always appreciated! I cannot wait to share the rest of this story- I love these four boys so much!!


	2. Chapter 2

The next weekend after going bike riding, with Keith hanging on to his shoulders as they raced against Shiro and Adam down a hill for the fifth time; Keith's dad had the amazing idea to carve pumpkins, and let them go on a hayride to a local pumpkin patch. Halloween was getting extremely close, and he wanted them to decorate. Since he was busy, he allowed Matt to ride his tractor there, but of course not before he was certain the teen knew what he was doing. 

The five boys headed down to the gravelly paths, where the large acres of corn were until they got to the bare patch of land. James was able to squeeze himself between Keith and Adam on the hayride, if anything to make small talk with the new alpha. He knew under that stern outer shell, there had to be someone worth talking to, and James was going to make an effort to find that person. These were Keith's _friends_ – he had to.

As the hayride came to a stop, Keith immediately jumped off, followed by Shiro and then Adam. The pumpkins stretched out in long rows towards the corn maze, and James couldn't wait to get his hands on some of them. He laughed when Keith almost tripped over the vines. A particularly large pumpkin caught his eye, and the brunet was quick to kneel next to it.

A few seconds later, Keith came back with a dusty old rag clutched in his hands. When he got closer, he could see it was a poor scarecrow head that probably got picked off its body by some of the crows.

"What do you think? Maybe I could wear it on Halloween!" Keith said, a sharp smile on his lips.

James grinned at him. "That's a good idea, I think you'd have to take all the straw out first, though."

"Or I could use it as a bag to put my candy in,"

He giggled at Keith's comment, and then the other was off to find his own pumpkin. James returned his attention to what he was doing. The pumpkin he'd chosen wasn't _that_ big, but how was he going to carry it all the way back to the hayride?

Before he could further ponder his options, a taller shadow loomed over his figure, and James looked up to see Shiro with his arms akimbo. "Need help with that?"

He helped him lift the pumpkin back to the hayride, where the other two boys had already filled up with half a dozen other pumpkins. Adam was sitting on one of the square bales of hay, hands clasped together between his knees. He didn't seem angry– but it confused the omega anyway.

James joined him as he adjusted the pumpkin on the floor, arching an eyebrow at the other. "Are you done picking pumpkins? Why are you sitting down?"

The alpha shrugged in his place, lazily looking back to Keith and Shiro. His scent was slightly bitter as always, underneath the usual coffee bean smell. "I'm pretty sure they can handle it on their own."

James sat down on one of the hay bales, not understanding why Adam would do that. "But it's fun! Don't you want to make jack-o'-lanterns?" That was only one of the best parts of Halloween– did the alpha just not like getting his hands dirty?

Adam ran a hand through the back of his hair, seemingly bored. "Not especially, Shiro likes that kind of stuff more."

Oh. Well, that was fine. Carving pumpkins wasn't for everybody.

James tapped his fingers against his chin.

"What about trick-or-treating? Did you see Keith's scarecrow mask? We're gonna go dressed together and ask for candy," he said excitedly, leaning towards the taller. Maybe Adam could go with them, too, with Shiro, and they could have so much more fun and play games and –

Adam rested his cheek against his hand, and the corners of his mouth twitched down. "Isn't trick-or-treating for babies?"

James clicked his mouth shut at the words, and he felt a sharp pang in his chest.

Oh.

Did...did Adam think he was too old to go trick-or-treating? He didn't expect that reaction at all from the other, and James' mind struggled to catch up with the implications. He said it like it was a childish thing to do, like _he_ was being childish, and the thought made an ugly knot form in his stomach.

Suddenly all of his initial excitement for the activity seemed to go away, and James dipped his head in embarrassment. Maybe he _was_ too old to go trick-or-treating, and he hadn't even realized before. What was he going to tell him?

"Um...Yeah," he whispered out, gripping the edge of the bale of hay.

Adam said nothing in return, too busy looking out to what Keith and Shiro were doing, so James figured it was time for him to go back with them. He quietly slipped out of the hayride, and glumly walked back to the pumpkin patch. Keith was carrying three small pumpkins on his hands, which would have been amusing if it weren't for his ruined mood, but he went back to grabbing more of them, hoping that it would be enough.

xxx

Keith raced back to the hayride to put the remaining pumpkins away. They must have gotten at least twenty– and there was barely enough room to sit down as a result. Well, it didn't matter to him– perhaps his pop could make some pumpkin pie with all the extra ones they didn't use. He ran back to the clearing to tell James he was finished.

The omega was crouched over one pumpkin, his arms wrapped around his knees, but he was just...staring at it, making no move to pick it up. When he got closer, he noticed his usual sugary scent had gone sour, which could only mean that something was wrong. Keith furrowed his brows in confusion, and crouched down next to his friend.

"Jamie? What happened?"

Even if he tried, he couldn't deny that he was in a bad mood– Keith was all too familiar with his scent to recognize the miniscule changes. But the omega only lowered his face, grabbing a stick to poke at the pumpkin. 

"Are you tired of picking? We were about to go home," he offered.

He didn't receive an answer at that, and James' eyes only glimmered with unshed tears. Now Keith _really_ wanted to know what was wrong, but it would be difficult. Like himself, James could be extremely stubborn– especially when he was upset.

Keith scooted closer to his friend's face.

"Come on Jamie, what is it?" He pleaded, and waited for his answer.

He felt victorious when James finally raised his eyes, but his confusion only worsened when he opened his mouth.

"I don't want to go trick-or-treating anymore," James said, looking for all the world like a puppy who'd been kicked.

Keith's eyebrows shot into his hairline. He didn't understand it. James _loved_ to go trick-or-treating, where was this even coming from?

"Why not!?"

The omega dipped his head again, and he went back to picking at the orange fruit with his stick. "Cause it's for babies…" He explained with a pout.

Wait. _What?!_ Keith's brows creased together, because he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Who told you that?"

James bit his lip sadly, and Keith swore he was gonna kill whoever made him like this. "Adam…" He said softly, and averted his eyes.

Yup. Keith was going to kill him.

"I'll be right back."

Not waiting for James to say 'okay', Keith turned on his heel, and started marching back towards the hayride where the alpha was sitting. Shiro gave him a look of confusion on the way, but he ignored it, in favor of climbing inside the back with fire in his eyes. The jerk was sitting languidly, looking at him with that same confused expression on his dumb nerd face.

"Keith? What's going on? You smell acrid, you know that?"

His brown eyes widened when Keith fisted his hand in his shirt, bringing the alpha closer to his face, and Adam went tense in his shock. He wasn't gonna punch him yet, but he sure as hell wanted to.

"Keith!? What the hell–"

"Why did you tell James that!? You're such a jerk!"

Adam frowned, like he didn't know what he had done, the bastard.

"What? What are you talking about!?" He held Keith's wrist to get him off, but the other didn't budge.

He wanted to roll his eyes at the alarmed smell he was giving off. "You told him trick-or-treating was for babies!"

He noticed the exact moment in Adam's eyes when his words finally clicked, and he tightened his lips. "I- I didn't think anything of it! I didn't know he would get upset!"

Of course he wouldn't. The alpha should have been more careful with his stupid words. "You're gonna say sorry to him or I'm going to tell Shiro."

Those cedar eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression turned apologetic. "Fine, fine! I will. I'm sorry."

When Keith finally let him go, the brunet smoothed down his shirt, and Keith didn't turn around to face him when he got off the hayride. What a jerk. He was lucky he wasn't there when he said it– otherwise Keith wouldn't have had a problem cursing him out. _No one_ hurt Jamie's feelings.

xxx

James dusted himself off as he stood up from the dirty ground. When Keith came back, all signs that he'd been concerned had disappeared, and instead a small, satisfied grin was formed on his lips. James almost jumped when he heard Shiro speak up behind him.

"Hey guys, Matt said that he found an abandoned truck in the corn maze. Let's go check it out!" His grey eyes shone brightly with excitement, and James turned around to see that Matt was, in fact, gone from his place at the tractor. An abandoned truck…? In the _corn maze?_

Keith's voice piped up next to him, and he ran to Shiro's side. "Seriously? Hey– maybe we can find someone's bones or some cash!"

What? But… James didn't want to go inside the corn maze! That was actually a terrible idea– and not even worth it for some leftover cash! What was he thinking?

Before he could say anything, Keith was running with Shiro into the cream-colored crops, and James panicked.

"Come on, Jamie! It's gonna be so cool!"

"B-but isn't it better to stay in the hayride? What if you get lost?"

"We won't! Now come on, don't be such a scaredy cat!"

James' face flushed at the statement, and he crossed his arms. "I'm not scared!" He argued back. So totally not scared, he just didn't want to ruin his sneakers in the grass, that's all– he wasn't afraid of getting lost!

"Then come on!" Keith said, before he could disappear into the corn maze. But James found his feet unable to move, staying in their place at the road.

He didn't need to see Keith's expression to know he was rolling his eyes. "Whatever, I'm gonna go! Catch ya later," he told the two remaining boys, and he chased after Shiro to find the truck.

James huffed irritatedly, and he retreated back to where Adam was, feeling grateful that he had also stayed behind. He _so_ wasn't a scaredy-cat, and he was actually doing the right thing. They were here to pick pumpkins– going into the maze would have probably been lame anyway. Still, he felt himself itch for validation, so he turned to Adam with a hopeful look.

"It's good we stayed, right? I mean, Mr. Kogane told us to not go in there. We would pretty much be breaking the rules."

Adam only shrugged, and he lay back against the hay with his hands behind his nape. "I just didn't go because it's stupid," he said simply, closing his eyes tiredly.

Stupid? It was reckless, maybe, but still, James didn't want to be _left out._ He took his bottom lip between his teeth as he gazed back at the corn maze. Would Keith and Shiro think he was lame too, after this? He didn't want to be teased… And he also didn't want to stay here with Adam…

Begrudgingly making up his mind, James walked back towards the corn maze, at the exact place where Keith and Shiro and Matt had disappeared. No. He wouldn't be a scaredy-cat, he was going to join his friends and have fun, even if it was a little scary. He could do this.

He slipped into the plants before he could have second thoughts.

xxx

The maze wasn't as scary as he initially thought, James quickly realized, as he saw a couple of crows flying overhead. But only if he could catch up with the others, he would feel more at ease. All he needed was to follow Keith's pungent firewood scent. Except… he didn't smell it. It was so faint now, so James picked up the pace to find it again. Had they turned another direction instead of going straight? James pushed aside the crops so he could walk through. The corn was much taller than him, and he could barely see the sky except if he looked directly up, and James took a deep breath. It was okay. He'd find the others.

He kept walking forward until he arrived at a small clearing, where the ground was covered in hay and grass and there didn't appear to be anybody in sight. Should he call something out? What if Keith was nearby?

His thoughts were quickly put to rest as a figure jumped out from the corn, and a frightening, gnarled devil mask came into view. James gasped at the sight, and he fell backwards in shock, landing on his elbows as he looked up. 

He might have thought it was Keith with a different mask– but the figure was too tall, and the scent was foreign and rancid. Cruel laughter erupted from the stranger, and James felt his heart skip a beat in his chest.

"Someone's a long way from home…" He heard, and it sounded like a teenage boy.

He attempted to get back to his feet, but then a strong force from the side toppled him back to the ground, and James yelped out in surprise. His cheek made contact with the rough ground underneath, so he rolled back over to look at his attacker.

There was another boy– no, _two_ other boys, wearing terrifying Halloween masks that James could barely stare at for more than a few seconds. He breathed heavily and gazed up at the boy wearing the devil one, who was seemingly their leader, and he felt like a deer in headlights.

The boy chuckled roughly, and he lowered his hands to his knees and tilted his head in mock concern. "Aw, Is the little omega scared? You don't like our masks? Why are you so quiet?"

His voice was sickly sweet, and James' attention was drawn to the boy holding something black and feathery in his hand. In the other, he had a rope. What were they doing with that?

As the other boy stepped closer to him, he realized, to his horror, that it was a _dead crow._

"Hey! Don't you know it's not fucking nice to stare?"

James almost jumped out of his skin at his yelling, and his mouth went dry. "I– I'm sorry," he said on instinct, but he was only graced with more laughter directed at him. He couldn't help how his brain screamed _DangerDangerDanger_ at him, and he wished he could tamp his growing fear down.

The leader tsked multiple times, and he took another step in his direction. He heard him take a long, dramatic sniff at him, and James felt sick. "Mmmm. Little omega, you smell frightened. Don't you want to play with us?"

"Yeah, we'll give you a _real_ reason to be scared," another boy chortled, and the words sent a cold chill straight down James' spine.

"I– I want to go back to my friends," James whispered, and he finally managed to get to his feet. 

"No you don't. Just stay with us," The third boy said, and he ran his devious fingers across the skin of James' nape.

James let out a squeak–as that place was extremely sensitive for omegas, and the fear in his stomach tripled. "Leave me alone!" He shouted, and he swatted the offensive hand away.

He wasn't expecting the same hand to come down at him as soon as he'd done it. Since it was at an awkward angle, it didn't hurt as much as it could have, but it still stung, and he let out a cry. 

"I think we ought to teach this little omega some manner, fellas," someone called out, and the leader's hand reached for his arm. He was fortunate enough to dodge it, and James' heart thrummed in his ears. If he ran, could he lose them in the maze? They still had longer legs than him, and he was outnumbered–

He jerked away as a second boy tried to grab at him, and he let his feet move before he could think. He could barely breathe– he needed to get away, he needed to _leave–_

When he felt a hand grab at his own, he let out a sharp gasp, and he swiveled in place– only it wasn't one of the boys in the masks.

Instead it was Adam, who had come to find him– and James felt immediate relief when he looked into the alpha's cedar eyes.

The older stood in front of him protectively, and he faced the other three with a scowl and a strong scent made to fend off other alphas. His attackers stopped in their tracks, and James held his breath when one of them laughed.

"Aww, you got your boyfriend to come save you? That's sweet, but he said he wants to come with us," The leader lied, and James wished he could see his expression under the mask.

Adam didn't move from his spot in front of James, and the others didn't come any closer.

The frown on his face only deepened. "Why don't you go back to your mothers before I call my father? He's the chief of police and I'm sure you don't want any trouble with him," He said in a low voice, and the three boys stilled, almost disbelieving.

_The chief of police?_

The silence between the alphas was deafening until one of the boys pointed at Adam accusingly. "He's lying! He doesn't know the chief of police– he's bluffing just to make us go away."

 _Was he?_ James didn't sense any dishonesty from the alpha, even with his keen omega sense of smell.

But Adam only reached into his pocket calmly, and took out his phone for them to see, and started to dial the number of said chief of police. "Suit yourself…he'll be here any minute."

The boys in the masks seemed to freeze at that, cautious about what was potentially going to happen, and wondering if Adam was telling the truth or not. Their stenches grew concerned, and it was pungent in the air. James took a peek at Adam's phone– and he recognized the number immediately. It was Keith's father's– Adam _was_ lying.

As the alpha hit call and the dial began, the air between the alphas grew even more tense. A few agonizing seconds passed before one of them finally snapped, and he turned on his heel. "Fuck that– I'm not going to get in trouble, let's just fucking leave."

He was followed by the second boy with the rope, and they disappeared back into the corn maze without their leader. With the devil's mask, they had no way to tell what he was thinking, so James only stilled and waited.

After what could have been a minute or two, he begrudgingly took a step back with a scoff. "Whatever, asshole."

And with that he turned in the direction of his friends, not bothering to look back at either Adam or James.

The omega felt like he was going to pass out from fear, or anxiety, or both. When he realized he was still squeezing Adam's hand tight, he jumped away in embarrassment.

When they were alone, Adam turned his phone off and looked down at James with an expression of concern. "Are you okay?"

James nodded shakily, and he used the back of his palm to clean the dirt he had on his face. Aside from being totally shaken up, he was fine. "Yeah, thank you." He said quietly, dropping his gaze to the floor. Having to be saved by Adam was embarrassing, although he was extremely grateful for it.

Suddenly his head felt a little more cleared up, and his hands stopped their nervous trembling. It took him a few seconds to realize that Adam was releasing calming pheromones.

"Okay, good. Let's go back before the guys wonder where we are," Adam said, and he started walking back in the direction of the road. James followed him wordlessly.

Would the others laugh at him when they found out what had happened? Or would they be understanding? James grit his teeth together and his eyes cast downwards. He wasn't ready for their teasing at all, so he had to prepare himself.

When they got back to the hayride, James was surprised that the other three boys were still gone. So the alpha came to him on his own? The taller boy sat down, and James took his usual seat by the wheels. Keith had a smiling face when they eventually came back, around two minutes later.

He climbed into the space next to James and Shiro while Matt went to the tractor. "Hey, Jamie. We didn't find any leftover cash but we did find these expired M&M's," The alpha proudly announced, chuckling at his findings. Shiro grimaced at the candy but he let out a laugh. James on the other hand, kept quiet– waiting anxiously for Adam to tell them the story.

He didn't get a chance to, because Keith inspected his face with an arched eyebrow. "Hey, your cheek is bruised. Did Adam do that to you?!"

The brunet alpha gaped at him, offended at the accusation. "Why do you immediately assume it was me!? I didn't do it– he tripped over the side of the road."

James blinked owlishly at his response. The… road?

Keith raised an eyebrow at him, but he took the lie, glancing at the pavement behind him. "It does get pretty rocky. You should be more careful next time, Jamie," he said, and went right back to reading the label of the M&M's.

James felt relief wash over him and he let himself breathe.

Like he had been reading his mind, Adam...had _lied_ to not embarrass him. _Him!_ The solid fact made warmth bloom in his stomach, and he was again extremely grateful for the alpha.

When the tractor started moving again and Keith opened his expired candy, he finally got the chance to enjoy his time with his friends again.

"You're not gonna seriously eat that, are you?" Said Shiro, sounding like he was going to throw up.

"Only if you triple dog dare me,"

"Keith, you're gonna get sick!"

"That's disgusting. Do it." Said Matt, and Adam had to roll his eyes.

"You guys are idiots."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for bullying James but it had to be done 😔 lmao
> 
> Next chapter is where things really start getting tense... but I swear there will be fluff!
> 
> Kudos/Comments are always super appreciated!!


	3. Chapter 3

The brunet watched as Shiro and Keith swung their foam swords at each other around the yard, looking as if they were re-enacting something from Star Wars. Adam was not going to get bruises tonight– so he opted for sitting down at one of the wooden picnic tables, sipping at the lemonade that Keith's father had so generously provided. The day's events had been far too wild for him– so he was glad that things had settled down. Saving James from a couple of gross alphas had not been on the to-do list for their trip to the pumpkin patch, but he was relieved that he was okay.

He hadn't paid particular attention to Keith's friend before today– seeing as how possessive the little gremlin alpha could be, but he soon noticed how eager the omega was to talk to him. It was kind of strange, as James already had an alpha like Keith to talk to, but he guessed he could have been a little nicer beforehand. The smaller was clearly just trying to become his friend, and he'd accidentally ended up hurting his feelings instead. Adam wasn't particularly fond of _that_ mistake.

He sipped more of his lemonade as Matt passed around pumpkin pie to Keith and Shiro, and then sat down next to him on the picnic table, like he'd invited him.

The other alpha brought a fork to his mouth to taste the sweet pie. "Crazy day today, huh?", he said conversationally, not bothering to cover his mouth when he spoke.

Adam frowned slightly. "I guess if you think pumpkin picking is crazy, then yeah," He said lamely, and he moved his straw around the ice to get more of his drink.

Matt wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, like he knew something he didn't. It was almost annoying. "Not that– I mean, the other thing. You know, what you said." He nudged him in the shoulder with his elbow, but Adam only looked away.

"I'm sorry, I literally have _no_ idea what you're talking about."

At that, Matt barked out a loud laugh, and it almost made Adam fully alert. God.

He didn't welcome when the other wrapped his arm around his shoulders, acting like they were engaging in a dumb secret, so he pulled him away. "I mean, you know I'm not dumb you know? You may think you're a good liar, but as a frequent liar, I _know_ when somebody else is lying. James didn't actually fall off the side of the road, did he?"

Adam rolled his eyes at the other boy, sipping his lemonade before he answered. "It's none of your business," he stated matter-of-factly.

But apparently it was the wrong thing to answer, because Matt only scooted closer to him with a curious glint in his eye. "I _knew_ it! You _were_ lying. So, what did you two _actually_ do while we were gone, huh? You two get all cozy up in the hayride?"

Matt was lucky that he didn't have more lemonade, because he probably would have thrown the rest in his face. He knit his eyebrows together as he listened to his nonsense ramble go on. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"I'm just saying! That could have been a little bite mark on his face, you know? You don't have to keep your secrets from me, buddy,"

Adam wanted to roll his eyes to another dimension. He shrugged away Matt's hand from his arm, and focused back on serving himself more lemonade. "Oh shut up, I don't like him in that way, idiot. We weren't doing anything while you were gone."

Matt hummed deviously, so Adam paid him no mind, looking back to Shiro and Keith sword fight again. The alpha picked up more of his pumpkin pie, and he shoved it into his mouth. "Fine, fine, deny it all you want! But if you don't make a real move soon, I might just have to steal that little omega away from you."

"Have fun doing that without Keith biting your hand off," Adam muttered, sipping at his straw loudly. 

A confused look spread across Matt's face. "Wait, what?"

He didn't get a chance to explain anything about the little gremlin, because at that unfortunate moment, James was walking up to the picnic table, pumpkin pie and a glass of lemonade in his hand. He groaned when Matt very subtly elbowed him in the arm, wiggling his eyebrows again, and he stood up with the plate in his hand.

"Make your move!" He whispered, just out of James' earshot, and Adam was so embarrassed to be seen anywhere near him.

What an idiot.

He didn't mind, however, when James took a seat in front of him, a smile on his face and smelling as sweet and sugary as the pumpkin pie. Adam was convinced James had a supernatural ability to make everybody he met like him– and he was apparently falling for the same spell too. He didn't really care though, he was nice and nowhere near as annoying as Matt.

Except he still had an apology that he needed to get out.

"Hey. I'm really sorry about what I said about trick-or-treating. It's not for babies– and you should go with Keith if you want to."

James' violet eyes slightly widened, but then the grin returned to his face. "It's okay, you got me away from those jerks! We're even now, so don't worry about it."

He smiled so brightly, and Adam was almost shocked with how quickly he forgave him. With how Keith had talked to him on the hayride– he assumed he must have been really upset. "I guess…"

James leaned forward and he cut his pumpkin pie into two equal halves with his knife, and slid it into a second plate Adam hadn't noticed before. "And now with this pumpkin pie, we're even more even!" He said happily, and set it down in Adam's place.

Adam felt his face and ears start to heat up against his will. God. This omega was too cute for his own good sometimes. He took the plate and fork given to him, and cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Th-thanks," He said, and took a bite out of the pie so he didn't have to speak anymore. He was so lucky Matt decided to leave him alone when he did, otherwise he'd never get to avoid his ramblings again.

They ate their dinner together under the star-speckled blue sky, listening to the occasional crickets and faint music from Keith's dad's radio. Adam began to think he was more than okay with having James as his new friend.

xxx

When all of their pumpkins were carved, and the night was getting late, Adam and the others were ready to go home. Keith had practically passed out on the hammock in his front yard, so Shiro and Matt went home with many thanks towards Keith's dad. 

James was ready to leave too, but not before Keith spontaneously woke up just to say goodbye to him. Did he have James-senses or something??

When he was finished cleaning his trash off the picnic table, he was approached by Keith's father, who he had been starting to get very used to seeing. He was a good man.

"Hello, Adam, it wouldn't be too much if you did me the favor of taking James home, would it? I don't want his mom worryin' about her only kid walking alone in the night, and I've got to put Keith to bed," he said bashfully, hand rubbing the back of his head.

Adam nodded his head, a bit surprised by the request. He supposed he shouldn't have been though– he was the oldest in their group after Matt, and James was the youngest. If he had a kid, he wouldn't have wanted them being out alone in the dark either. 

"Sure, I can do that." His own house wasn't that far away, anyway, and it would only take at most ten minutes.

After the omega was done saying goodbye, he rushed to his side, apparently already knowing he was going to walk him home.

Keith eyed him from the side as James started walking ahead, and he frowned suspiciously.

"Aren't you gonna get jealous I'm walking your little boyfriend home?" Boyfriend was probably not the right word for their relationship, but he used it anyway, because he didn't want to hear any complaining later about how Adam was supposedly taking him from Keith. He was such a hothead.

But the alpha only shrugged his shoulders, and he took a sip from the juice box in his hands. "No. You're too much of a nerd, so there's no way he likes you," he said simply, and went back inside the house.

"WHAT?!"

Adam felt a surge of anger in his veins, and he grit his teeth together. That little gremlin! What was his problem!? James liked him just fine, and Keith didn't know what he was talking about. If his kindness a few hours earlier meant anything– which it probably did, then Keith was completely wrong. What a jerk.

He took longer strides to catch up with James, making sure the other didn't leave his sight. At least his sugary scent could calm him down some, because he was so tired of Keith's tormenting. He followed closely behind the omega until he felt at peace again.

He wasn't surprised when James slowed down to walk next to him, and started asking him questions about whatever popped up inside his head. He _really_ wanted to talk to him whenever he could, but Adam found that it didn't bother him at all– he actually liked it a bit, and hearing what the omega had to say.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" He asked him, walking faster than usual to keep up with Adam's wider steps. He would have chuckled if he wasn't so preoccupied with his answer.

"I do have an older sister, but she's grown and she moved away from here a long time ago."

"Do you miss her?"

"Sometimes, but I have people here to talk to when I do."

"I wish _I_ had an older sibling…" James mused, gazing ahead at the path in front of him, and then smiled up at him.

Adam couldn't help but smile himself– feeling a warmth bloom inside his chest.

The feeling was quickly tamped down though, as a soft, rumbling noise reached Adam's ears. No, it wasn't rumbling– it sounded like _growling._ He stopped immediately, and put a hand on James' chest to stop him, too. Oh, no. It sounded like it was close by, and it certainly wasn't human.

"What's going on?" James squeaked, but Adam was anxiously looking around for the origin of the noise. It sounded like it was coming from the woods.

"James, stay behind me," he said quickly, when the noise only increased in volume.

James could hear it, too, and he let out a gasp when a great, black dog emerged from the trees in front of them. Adam felt himself tense at the sight– it looked extremely aggressive, and it was growling at them both. Oh, no. What was he going to do? He clenched his fists at his sides, willing himself to not freak out and scare the animal further.

James was clutching to his clothes behind him, not daring to make a move either. _Fuck!_ What _could_ he do!? His main priority at this second was to protect James, and then he could figure it out from there.

The animal got closer, and it started barking wildly at them both. He barely had time to blink when suddenly his vision was filled with black fur, and then James yelled his name out behind him. Almost instantly, a searing pain shot through his right arm, and hot blood started pouring out of his limb.

"Nngh!!"

Adam doubled over from the pain, and he squeezed his hand tight. There was more shouting from James, but all he could see was red and the darkness of the night, and he knelt down on the ground. The dog had bit him– and it stung like hell, and his eyes were welling up with tears–

It took him a second to realize that the animal had gone, and James was anxiously kneeling to his level to look at his wound. He smelled so sweet and calming, like sugar and bread, just like a bakery, and Adam tried with all his might to think about that and not look down at the blood below him. There was so much of it… and it was getting everywhere… No, he never liked the sight of blood– it made him dizzy –and god, when did his skin get so cold? The world around him was spinning– in fact, he was so light-headed, he felt like he was about to pass out at any second ––

He felt two slim arms hold on to him before he dropped to the ground.

xxx

James had been horrified when Adam had fainted– he didn't know what was going on, or if it was the loss of blood that did it– and he was so scared and frightened for him he wanted to cry and scream. His arm was bleeding so much, and right away he called for help from Keith's dad, since they were closest to his house. He picked up right away, and soon, they were taking Adam back inside the house, Mr. Kogane easily carrying him in his strong arms.

He had felt so sorry for sending the boys alone, but he was glad to find that he was safe and alive. When they lay Adam down on the living room sofa, the older alpha was quick to tend to his wound, disinfecting the bite and wrapping it in white bandages. He knew exactly how to do it, after all he _was_ a first responder, but James was still so scared, and he wanted Adam to be okay.

After his arm was completely bandaged up and the bleeding had stopped, Keith's dad assured him that he was just sleeping, and that he just needed to rest. He told him he suspected that Adam passed out at the sight of all the blood– which was something people sometimes did when their blood pressure dropped in reaction to a trigger. It wasn't harmful or dangerous, so Adam would be fine.

He was in good hands– but even with the information, James couldn't stop the way tears formed in his eyes and fell down his cheeks. After calling Adam's parents to tell them what had happened, Mr. Kogane gave him a comforting hug, and told him he was very brave for dealing with the situation like he did. James sniffed wetly, but as he saw Adam on the couch, looking so vulnerable and exhausted with his wounded arm, he thought the alpha was even braver.

xxx

James felt terrible. When his mom had picked him up from Keith's house after Adam had been bitten, he had told her everything, but even then the guilty feeling growing in his stomach didn't stop. So the next thing he did was turn to Keith the following school day.

The alpha had also been relieved when he saw that he was alright, and he gave him a hug when he saw him in the hall. He could immediately tell that something was off by his scent though, and James didn't waste any time in pretending that something wasn't wrong.

"Was this my fault?" James asked, and he wiped away at his wet nose. He could barely get the words out in his state, on the brink of breaking down again. He was so sure he was giving off such a strong, anxious scent, because Keith released pheromones to help him relax.

The alpha shook his head in confusion at James' words. He gazed at him with wide, concerned eyes. "What are you talking about?", he said in that soft, raspy voice of his. "Of course this wasn't your fault."

"But– But I was _there_ when that dog bit him, he was trying to protect me– I could have done something–" He hiccuped between soft sobs, and he wiped at the tears falling down his cheekbones.

Keith wrapped his arms around his shoulders and James melted into the embrace. "There's nothing that you could have done, Jamie. You did your best and you got him out safe. It's not your fault," he assured him, and he hooked his chin over James' shoulder in a comforting manner.

James sniffed. He hoped Adam thought so too, and he couldn't wait to see him again– had he even come to school today? Probably not– he was going to the doctor to make sure his wound wasn't as deep or worse than they originally thought. It would be a day or two before they saw him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendship is IN the AIR!! ToT Although im sorry...whump is in the air too...
> 
> Anyways I always liked the headcanon that Adam doesn't like blood sooo I put it into my story!! Also Matt and Adam make a good friendship duo I lov them haha
> 
> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated!!


	4. Chapter 4

When Adam did eventually come back to school, two days later, his wounded arm was wrapped and put up in a sling. James immediately ran to hug him, and he almost started crying again in the middle of the hallway. He was warm, and okay, and even though he couldn't properly hug him back, Adam still wrapped an arm around his smaller figure. He smiled sympathetically when he pulled back and saw the shine in James' eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop the dog, Adam, I should have done something more–"

"Hey, it's okay. That dumb dog didn't mess me up. The doctor said it wasn't serious," he said, and hugged him even closer. Adam gave him a rare, genuine smile, and James felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Besides, if you hadn't been there, I probably would have become his dessert," he joked.

"That's not funny,"

Adam laughed softly, the first time he'd ever heard it, and James took a deep breath and grinned too. The alpha's coffee bean scent was even lighter, and it smelled sweeter than before. He was so glad that his friend was okay.

xxx

Keith could not believe it. He didn't want to. After Adam had come back with a sling in his arm and that strange, unnatural smile plastered on his face, James had started spending almost _double_ the amount of time with the other alpha. In the hallways, at lunch, walking outside, and even during Shiro's football games. He was always trailing after him like a puppy and Adam didn't even have to make an effort to get his attention.

It had been three weeks since he'd first met the other alpha, but Keith still didn't get what was so great about him. Although, yes, he hung out with Shiro and their group pretty much whenever they went to go do something outside of school– he was still, for a lack of a better word, a nerd.

Not to mention he was sassy and he always talked in that deadpan manner like his only emotion was 'serious'. His personality was probably the farthest thing and most different from James', which is why Keith was so confused when the omega actually started _talking_ to him. It didn't make any sense. And no– he was _so_ not jealous.

At least that's what he told himself, when James sat down next to Adam at lunch for the fourth day in a row. No, he didn't care– Keith had plenty of other friends to talk to, like Hunk and Katie and Matt. Shiro didn't have their lunch period, but if he did he was certain he would have sat next to him, too. It was so annoying.

Even as he stuck his fork into his soggy mashed potatoes and fries, staring at the dumb alpha from afar– he still told himself he wasn't jealous. Because obviously, he wasn't. Adam was a huge freaking nerd.

He heard multiple sighs as he stabbed at his food again, and Keith was finally pulled away from his wandering thoughts to see his friends staring at him with a tired look.

_"What?"_ He bit out, harsher than he intended. He knew he probably stank with all his irritation, but there were more important matters to worry about.

Matt scooted closer to him and he placed his cheek on his hand, a concerned look filling his eyes. His brows scrunched slightly as he spoke. "Keith, I know it's hard, but you've _got_ to stop staring at them like that,"

Next to him, Katie nodded in agreement, and stuffed more salad into her mouth. "Yeah, it's totally not healthy, and I'm pretty sure the entire cafeteria knows you're jealous right now."

Jealous!? "I'm not jealous!!" Keith said, and it bounced across the brick walls around them. Oops, he probably shouldn't have said that out loud– but at least there were enough people talking to drown it out.

He slumped back in his seat, resting his chin against his palm petulantly and frowned when Matt opened his mouth again.

"Look, I tried to go out with him too, but Adam got there first, so you just gotta deal with it!"

Keith's jaw fell open, and he swore he saw red. "What the hell are you talking about? James and him aren't together!" No, that was actually quite impossible– because Adam was sixteen, and he was boring and lame, and James was _HIS_ best friend, not Adam's!! And what the heck was Matt saying– ?

" _You_ tried to go out with him too!?"

The apricot-haired boy arched an eyebrow, like he was completely clueless of Keith's feelings. "Yeah? Why do you say it like that?"

Keith felt blood rush to his face, and he bit at his bottom lip until he almost tore through the skin. He couldn't believe it. _Matt_ was interested in James too. He said that Adam had gotten to him first– but did James actually reciprocate the alpha's feelings? Did he _really_ like him like that? 

It wasn't something that he wanted to think about, because he thought James was...well, ever since they were small he thought they would have ended up together. Everybody thought so too, as well as his pop and James' mom.

It's not like he'd ever officially _confessed_ his feelings to James, or actually took him out on a real date, but he always felt he didn't need to. He thought they had a connection. Which is why this whole situation made his head hurt, and he forced himself to not look at James and Adam again.

A long silence befell their small table at his lack of answer, and Keith realized his friends were _still_ staring at him. But it was strange– they almost looked _upset._

Matt let out a soft 'ohh', like the lights had finally gone on upstairs. " _You_ like James too– don't you? I mean, you _really_ like him. Why didn't I see it before? It was _so obvious–"_

Keith felt his face get warmer, and he slapped the other's hand away from his shoulder.

There was no use in denying it, though– because they would have sensed if he was lying anyway, and Keith was anything but a good liar. Still, he didn't feel like having his crush brought up at this unfortunate moment where everyone was acting like James _was_ dating someone else. "Leave me alone, Matt," he grumbled.

But the alpha didn't listen to him, instead doing the exact opposite and leaning in so close Keith could smell his citrusy scent. "Hey, it's okay to be upset– I totally understand. It's hard to see your crush date someone else–"

"But they're NOT dating!" Keith growled out, and he stood up from his place at the lunch table, throwing his trash off his tray with a jerky movement.

He knew Matt was just trying to comfort him, but it certainly wasn't working, and Keith was tired of hearing all this talk about Adam. He ignored the curious looks he received from his peers, walking away from the crowded area to clear his head. He seriously needed to be anywhere else right now– he felt like he was going to explode. And he didn't want to be anywhere near his friends when he did.

xxx

Keith was still in a sour mood when he rode his bike after school that day. James had stayed after for some type of science club he was in, so he didn't get a chance to talk to him, or let his mood better with his jokes and his kind smile. It sucked, not having him around– so Keith took his bike around their large neighborhood in an effort to get his mind off things.

He liked going down the wide, gravelly paths with the endless expanse of trees at either side of him, and looking at each occasional house down every street. He didn't expect to hear a familiar sound while he was riding by one of them, though.

It sounded like a voice, a voice he knew very well– and when he got closer, he could see that it was _James_ , standing by the edge of the grass, talking to someone, head hung low. But they weren't anywhere near his house! Intrigued, Keith pedaled harder in his direction, until he saw a grown woman, probably middle aged, come into view talking to the young omega.

A sad, anxious scent immediately struck his nose as he slowed down, and Keith was surprised to find that she was pointing a finger at him rudely, an ugly scowl mangling her features. She was yelling at him, and Keith could hear it as clear as day.

"Do you think it's okay to ruin my property? Is that what you think? These aren't _YOUR flowers_ , young man!"

Keith's gaze fell on the poppies in her hand, crushed by her strong grip, and the rest of the flowers on the edge of the road. What the hell?

Keith could tell James was trying hard not to cry, his face flushed and he wiped at his red nose when he spoke. "I– I'm sorry, I didn't know! I promise, I was just trying to–"

But the lady wasn't listening to his protests, and instead turned on her side to get her phone out.

"You know what? I think that's enough– I'm going to call your mother and let her know what you were doing. Tell me her name."

James only panicked more, and he wrung his hands together anxiously. His eyes were big and round with fear. "No! I swear, I didn't know. I'm really sorry, ma'am! I'm sorry…"

He hiccuped as a few tears fell, but the woman didn't seem to care that she was making a kid cry. White hot rage surged through Keith's chest, and he pedaled closer to where they were. James was shocked when he turned around, and the woman looked confused to see another boy.

"Hey!", Keith yelled, because he was tired of her shit. "These aren't even your flowers, and this isn't your property! Leave him alone!"

The woman looked revolted at his words, and she only typed away at her phone faster, her face turning red with anger. "I– he was picking up these flowers, they belong to me!" She insisted, and James said nothing next to him.

"Yeah, like hell they do! Your house is across the street, so go yell at somebody else, you witch!"

Her scandalized gasp was satisfying and Keith was quick to urge James on his bike behind him. "Come on, let's go,"

James wrapped his arm around his torso tight so he wouldn't fall off, and Keith lifted his foot off the ground.

"I'm going to tell your parents about this, young man! Both of your parents! You're going to be sorry!"

He rode away before the witch could make any more threats, and Keith rolled her eyes, paying her no mind. Even if she did– he wouldn't care, because both he and James were in the right. If the lady _did_ end up calling his dad, he was sure he would understand.

James let out a few soft sniffles as he calmed down from his crying, and he felt warm and right behind his back. What a witch– he couldn't believe someone was evil enough to yell at a person like James. She was awful, and he didn't regret calling her a name. It served her right. Jamie was innocent.

"Can we stop to get some more flowers by the woods?" Said the omega, when his breathing was less shaky and his eyes weren't as red.

"Sure, I think I know a good spot," Keith told him, and he pedaled faster to a place he went to often. He didn't know what James wanted the flowers for, but he was super happy to be spending any time with the other, especially after not really seeing him all day. It felt like bliss.

He rode for five more minutes until they got to a part of the road where the vegetation was a bit more abundant, and violets were scattered across the forest ground. He only watched from afar as James picked a few of them up in a nice bouquet, when it struck Keith why he was doing it at all.

They were for _him._

Jamie was so cute.

His cheeks turned pink when the other boy returned to his bike with the violets in hand, linking his arms around his middle to hang on tight, and Keith smiled.

He couldn't help but tease the omega a little when he circled around and he started pedaling back to his house.

"Y'know, this could've worked better as a surprise," Keith chuckled, and he glanced behind his shoulder to look at James, cinnamony brown fringe blowing in the wind.

"What do you mean?"

"You're too sweet, so I promise to act surprised when you give them to me tomorrow," Keith joked in a flirty manner, feeling a warmth in his gut because of the omega.

He couldn't believe how nice James was, going around the neighborhood to pick something up just for him. He suspected it was for his birthday– it was only a day away, after all. (Not that he went around announcing it to everyone, of course.)

It felt really nice, being given such a nice gift from his friend, and the mere thought caused him to feel lighter than air. But he soon realized that he had been completely wrong, and his parade was immediately rained upon as James said his next words.

"They're for Adam."

Keith blinked once.

And then twice.

He would have accidentally crashed his bike at that moment if he weren't paying all his attention on the road.

" _What?"_

"To make him feel better," James explained like it was obvious.

As he processed the words, the sunny feeling in his chest was extinguished, and it dawned on Keith that he was getting the flowers because of Adam's stupid injury.

Of course.

He was so dumb for thinking they were for him, and the feelings of hurt and jealousy came back to him in full-force. Adam didn't even have the sling anymore, so what even was the point!?

"But he's already recovered! Why would you want to do that?"

"I thought it might be nice…"

Keith scoffed, not fully understanding why _flowers_ were necessary. "What's the big deal? It's not like he got beaten up or run over– he just fainted because he saw a bit of blood!" He was sure there was more to it than that, but he wasn't exactly thinking straight with all of his jealousy and anger building up.

Keith glanced behind him to see James with raised brows, which then creased together disapprovingly. "Keith, he was bleeding a lot from the dog bite…"

"Yeah, and then he passed out because of it? He was probably just being dramatic," He bit out, not really believing his own statement. He didn't need to turn around to know that James' eyes had gone wide.

"That's not nice, Keith."

But Keith only grit his teeth together and he scoffed, feeling his irritation rise within him. Every moment that he thought about Adam and James together just ticked him off further. "So? _He's_ not nice either! I doubt he even _wants_ flowers when he's already feeling better," Keith grumbled out, pedaling faster as his heart raced in his chest.

James' scent changed to something stronger and more emotional, but Keith just kept pedaling away. "Keith, why are you acting like this? Why don't you like Adam?"

His tone was so perplexed, and Keith was just so, so tired of hearing that dumb name. He couldn't even stop himself from rolling his eyes and snapping. "He's the _worst_ , James! Why _wouldn't_ I not like him!?"

He didn't expect it when the other put his hands on his shoulders, and for the omega's warm body heat left his own.

"Stop the bike, Keith."

Like he had been broken out of a spell, Keith let his jaw fall open, and his eyes widened at what he'd heard.

"What?"

"Stop the bike! I want to get home on my own," James said, his scent sour and hurt and Keith bit at his tongue.

Oh, no.

He'd made a huge, terrible mistake.

But he quickly did as he was told, and James didn't waste any time in getting off the bike like he had said, taking his flowers with him. Panic coursed through Keith's veins as James started walking away without a goodbye.

"J-James? Wait, stop," he pleaded, letting his bike slowly catch up to the omega. He smelled so anxious and bothered, and he could only imagine his scent was just as acrid. "James," He called out, a bit louder the second time.

The brunet turned to him with furrowed brows and his mouth thinned into a straight line. It was an expression that James had never directed at him before, and it left Keith frozen in place.

"I don't know why you're acting like this, but it's not nice, okay!? Just let me walk home, Keith!"

Keith' throat went tight, and a feeling of _wrongwrongwrong_ washed over his body as the other started heading in the other direction.

James was _angry_ at him. Really angry.

Keith felt so stupid– why had he said all of those things? Adam was his _friend_ – what was wrong with him!? His breath caught in his throat as he wondered what he was going to do. He was ruining everything!

"Are... are you still coming over later?" He asked tentatively. They were supposed to be baking bread for his birthday tomorrow, but now it seemed like he'd completely ruined those plans for himself. For them both.

Keith stilled when James answered, and it was just what he was afraid of hearing.

"I don't know. I'll think about it."

Keith ran an anxious hand through his bangs, feeling his stomach drop to the concrete below him. He wanted to say he was sorry, that he didn't actually mean what he'd said– but his mouth felt dry and no words came out. Tears stung at his eyes, because he couldn't believe this was happening. What was he going to do!? James was not coming back.

When he rode home on his bike, upset and guilty and feeling like garbage, he eagerly waited for the rest of the evening for the familiar knock at his door so they could hang out. So _he_ could hang out with his best friend, and they could have a fun time like they always did.

It never came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT REALLY HURT TO WRITE THIS TBH but I had to...
> 
> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated!!


	5. Chapter 5

Keith always thought birthdays were a weird concept. He knew it was no different from any other day of the year, that it was just another box and a number on the calendar that held no real meaning– but somehow not having his friends around to celebrate it with him hurt more than he could ever anticipate. He felt terrible, laying here on his bed on the cool Saturday morning alone, wrapped up in his blankets in the dark because he had nothing better to do.

James had been too angry to come over the day before, and that had ended with him crying into his dad's arms until he'd fallen asleep. He'd never been in a fight with him before, and Keith found he didn't like it one bit. How foolish he'd been, to think he'd actually show up after he spewed all of his jealousy and hate towards Adam out at him. James didn't deserve that, he was just trying to be nice. Neither of them did. And now Adam probably hated him, too, and as did Shiro.

He figured that he shouldn't have been sad– that it wasn't fair for him to be, but it still hurt, even if it was his fault that he was alone. Was James really so angry at him that he wouldn't come visit him on his birthday? He probably didn't want to. And it's probably what he deserved, Keith thought, as his vision blurred and his eyes stung with a fresh set of tears. The cold, hard truth was almost too much for him to bear:

None of his friends were coming to visit him.

He made no noise when his bedroom door cracked open, and his dad stepped through the frame with a plate and a piece of cake in his hand. His eyebrows furrowed sorrowfully at him, and Keith only buried his head deeper into the covers, wishing he could disappear into his bed.

"You're not hungry, kit?"

Keith shook his head, but his dad set the pitiful plate down on his night stand anyway. He knew what he was thinking, and he wished he could just come out and say it.

"Aren't ya gonna invite Jamie and your friends over today?"

Keith sniffed slightly, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he shook his head again, willing his tears not to fall. "They wouldn't come even if I asked them to," he croaked out, and just saying it out loud made a sob escape his lips.

His dad shushed him soothingly, and he sat down on his bed so he could wipe away his tears with a thumb. "Keith, your friends care about you very much, of course they would."

It was a thoughtful sentiment, but Keith knew he was wrong.

"No, I messed it all up– they don't want to see me because I'm not nice," Keith cried, and he hated the way his nose was runny and his face felt hot. No, he wasn't nice– and the way he had talked about Adam proved it. The alpha hadn't even done anything wrong.

Although it was the truth, he didn't know why his father creased his eyebrows together like he had said something bad.

"Not nice? Keith, don't say that– of course you're nice. I've seen the way that little omega boy looks at you, alright? He wouldn't always spend time with you if ya weren't, would he?"

Keith frowned as he took in his father's words.

James and him had been friends since they were little, but it was possible he _was_ just a mean boy. It was possible that maybe James just tolerated him all this time, for some reason unbeknownst to him. Well, _that_ thought wasn't comforting at all.

At least he didn't have to pretend anymore.

Keith let out a watery sigh, and he wiped the rest of his tears falling down his cheeks again. He felt like such a mess– and he wished he could see James' sweet face.

His dad must have known that he didn't have plans of getting out of bed anytime soon, so he ran his fingers through his hair and made him look up.

"When you're finished with your cake come downstairs, okay?"

Keith hoped they weren't gonna do anything fun– he didn't feel like having fun when Jamie wasn't around.

xxx

When the older alpha had said they were gonna get ice cream– Keith should have been more suspicious, because they already had plenty of ice cream in the fridge. But he wasn't thinking so hard about it, until they got in the truck and they arrived at someone's house Keith hadn't ever seen before.

It had a lush garden in the front, along with a pond he was certain had some colorful red and yellow fish. He was glad it wasn't James' house– he didn't think he was brave enough to face the omega just yet, but at the same time he was confused. Couldn't he just sulk in his room alone today on his birthday?

He said nothing when his dad made him get out of the car, and then went up to the porch to ring the doorbell. An older, japanese woman opened up, and Keith had a feeling that she knew who he was. Her kind eyes were strangely familiar.

"Is Shiro home at this time? I was wondering if Keith could come over so they could talk."

Wait, this was _Shiro's house??_

The woman smiled warmly at them both, and Keith wanted to ask what they were doing here.

"Of course he can, Takashi's in his room right now."

Great. This was marvelous. What if Adam was with him, or he even invited James over? He was _not_ ready to talk to them.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and Keith bit his lip. "I'll come pick ya up whenever you want to come home, okay?"

"Okay…"

It wasn't long before he was being dragged forward by the nice old lady, and he was inside Shiro's house. Before he even got the chance to look around, the older teenager was in the hallway, surprised but not displeased to see him.

"Keith? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

So he _didn't_ know about the fight. Keith curled in on himself, and he rubbed at his arm anxiously. "Sorry, my dad made me come," he whispered out, and lowered his gaze to the floor.

"I'm so glad to see you!" He heard, before he was being pulled forward into the omega's arms.

Keith stilled out of shock, but he slowly accepted the hug, burying his face in Shiro's warmth. His outdoorsy, rainy scent was like a blessing to his nose, and exactly what he needed right now. Except he felt like he didn't deserve to be comforted right now.

He wordlessly followed Shiro to his room, until they were both sitting on the skewed covers of his bed. Apparently the teen had been in the middle of playing video games, before Keith had so rudely interrupted him. He could tell by his furrowed eyebrows and soft expression that he was concerned.

Keith sighed, and he made himself as small as he possibly could on the mattress. "I don't really wanna talk about it…" He said, because he knew what Shiro was going to ask.

But he should have expected the omega wouldn't give up so easily, as he put a worried hand on his forearm. "Keith, I want to know what's wrong, I want to help you,"

How could he, when he had messed up so badly? The memories of his and James' fight came flooding back into his mind, and he felt tears prick at his eyes. "I… I made a huge mistake, Shiro. I was jealous of James being nice to Adam. I got angry with him, and then he didn't come to my house," he cried, and his breath hitched through his sobs.

There was no way he could look at Shiro in the eyes right now– Adam was _his_ best friend too, and now he knew what he really thought of him. Why did he have to be such a terrible friend?

Keith hiccuped once, and he brushed away the stray tears that had started to fall. Shiro was still listening to him, so he figured he'd continue.

"James likes Adam more than me– because I was mean to him. And now he doesn't like me anymore either," He said, feeling pitiful and pathetic and weak. "I know it sounds terrible, but I don't _want_ them to be together, Shiro. I like James too much..." He cried, and covered his face with his hands.

He forced himself to look up at him, but he didn't find the anger that he was expecting in his eyes. Instead, he still looked concerned, and understanding. Like he actually wanted to help him.

A hand hooked itself around his shoulders, and Keith sniffed softly as Shiro hugged him close. He didn't know how the older couldn't hate him too after all that he had said. He almost whined when Shiro left his side, and Keith had never felt so fragile.

"Keith, look at me. James doesn't _not_ like you, okay? You're his _best friend._ And I know for a fact that Adam and him don't like each other in that way."

Keith knitted his eyebrows together and sniffed. "How can you be so sure?"

Shiro's lips curled into a soft smile, and Keith didn't know what was going through his head. He was confused when he stood up from his bed, and grabbed something from one of his shelves.

"Look at this," he said, and he handed him an old picture frame that Keith hadn't noticed when he first came in.

He rubbed at his eyes so he could see better, and he inspected the photograph in his hands.

It was a picture of Shiro, _and_ Adam, when they were younger, with the omega smiling into the camera of the selfie they were taking. Shiro had braces on, but that wasn't what was strange about it–no, what was strange was how Adam was kissing his cheek, his hand wrapped around the other to tenderly cup his face.

But– _why_ was he kissing him? Adam didn't like Shiro in that way– at least, he never actually paid close attention to how he looked at him– Shiro and Keith were always too busy hanging out for him to notice. Oh God, and he spent so much time with him!?

"I… I thought Adam liked James…" Keith stammered, perplexed as all heck as to what was going on. " _You're_ dating him?"

A pinkness rose to Shiro's cheeks, and his smile only widened bashfully. "Yeah. I mean, we don't really like doing PDA stuff in public, so we try to keep it low-key."

So low-key that Keith hadn't even _noticed._ All the weird things about Shiro that he'd brushed off as nothing suddenly made much more sense. _That's_ why Shiro had smelled a bit like coffee beans and milk when they first met. Adam had _scented_ him at some point.

Keith couldn't believe how dense he was.

He gripped the picture frame nervously in his hands, gnawing at his bottom lip anxiously. "But… they spent so much time together. Even Matt thought Adam was interested in him."

Shiro grinned at him with kind eyes, and he tilted his head much like a puppy. "I'm pretty sure Adam would have said something by now if he did. And he is always honest. Keith, James doesn't like Adam. He likes _you._ "

Although his affirmation made his heart skip a beat in his chest, he still felt a knot in his stomach. "I don't know about that. Adam is a much better alpha than I ever was..." Not to mention that he had saved him from a wild dog, when he could have just run away.

"Keith, you're different from Adam in a _good_ way. You still care so much about James. And he cares about you. Anyone with two brain cells can see that."

Clearly, _he_ hadn't. He was too jealous to realize, too busy worrying about his affections for Adam, when they were just friends. And this entire time, Keith had been hanging out with _Adam's_ omega. He cringed at himself. Is that why Adam always acted the way he did?

"Did he get jealous when we talked, too? He always seemed so deadpan and quiet whenever we hung out, like on the hayride..."

Shiro chuckled softly. "Truthfully, I think Adam is always a _little_ bit jealous. But he always acts like that regardless of how he feels."

Well, that was a relief. How he acted _was_ just an Adam thing. But he still felt so sorry for jumping to conclusions and getting upset at James. "I don't know what I'm going to do, Shiro."

"First, I think apologizing to James would be a good start," Shiro said with a grin.

Of course. There was nothing else he _could_ do. He would apologize to Jamie, and tell him a jerk he was. That he was wrong.

Keith nodded firmly, and Shiro plopped back down on one of the bean bags he had in his room. "Cool. Now let's turn that frown upside down– wanna play some Lego Star Wars?"

Keith laughed shakily at his antics. "You sound like a first grade teacher, Shiro."

But that only earned him a sunny smile from the omega. "Maybe someday I will be. So is that a yes?"

Keith picked up the controller next to him, and he nodded his head. "I'm in."

xxx

Keith was starting to feel much better by the time they had gone through several levels of the game. Shiro had even gotten them some ice cream from his fridge, complete with oreo bits and rainbow sprinkles on the top. It was a perfect birthday snack– and Keith was so grateful that his dad had thought of bringing him over to his house. It would have been perfect– if James and Adam were with them, too.

He needed to apologise. So he asked to borrow Shiro's bike, and the omega didn't blink an eye when he told him he was coming too. Keith held on tightly to Shiro's shoulders until they got to James' house.

As he stepped off the bike and walked up to the front porch, Keith felt his anxiety bubble to the surface. What if James wasn't even there? What if he didn't even want to see him? He didn't visit his house yesterday so maybe this whole thing was a lost cause.

He looked back to Shiro who was already staring at him, and the omega placed a comforting hand on his shoulder that signified, _it was fine._

Keith took a deep breath when he rang the doorbell.

It took a minute or two for the door to open, and Keith held his breath when he saw James, curious with his eyes big and round and uncertain. Did he know it was his birthday? Keith internally scolded himself– this wasn't the time to be thinking about that right now. This was about him.

Keith fiddled with the hem of his shirt and he pursed his lips together. "I… Um..."

He glanced back at Shiro, who nodded at him expectantly. Fuck, he could already feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He was _not_ going to cry again!

"Jamie...I'm… I'm really sorry about what I said. About Adam. I was jealous and I wanted you to give me a gift instead." he said quietly, keeping his head hung and his eyes on James' violet ones. "I don't hate him. He's nice, like you, and I never should have said those things. I know he means a lot to you… so… I'm sorry. I promise I won't act like that again."

Had he said too much, or not enough? He could barely discern what James was feeling with all of his mixed emotions and the different smells making it hard to think. Something wet dripped down his cheeks– he _was_ starting to cry, so he wiped it away with his arm, clenching his jaw nervously.

He almost fell back with a gasp when James threw his arms around him, and his vision only blurred some more when he squeezed him tight.

"Keith, you don't have to feel jealous… you're my best friend. _No one_ compares to you, okay?"

Keith felt fat tears fall down his face, and he let himself cry into the crook in James' shoulder. He didn't want to cry in front of him, but it was virtually impossible as he listened to James talk. He was so, so sorry.

The brunet cuddled into his neck, and his sugary smell only intensified as he did so. It felt so nice, having James in his arms again, but it took Keith an embarrassing ten seconds to realize the omega was _scenting him._

_Oh…_

He made no move to pull back– because why on earth would he?– and he just let James do his own thing. The other's face felt warm against his own, and Keith's heart thrummed loudly against his rib cage. James was _scenting him!_

When he finally pulled back, a cute little smile graced James' lips, and Keith felt his face burn hotter at the sight. So he _did_ return his feelings…

Keith felt like he was going to swoon.

He almost screamed when Adam walked into view from inside James' house, a smug smirk tugging at those devious lips and wearing a black apron around his neck for some reason.

"Y-you were there this whole time!? Did you listen to everything I said!?" That punk nerd!!! He was enjoying how flustered he was!!!

But Adam only shrugged his shoulders calmly with a satisfied smile. "Yeah, I kinda did. You _were_ kinda loud…" He said, like it was an excuse to eavesdrop on their conversation.

What was he even doing in his house!? Keith swiveled around to face Shiro, but the omega was wearing the same, knowing smile on his face. Did _he_ also know Adam was here!?

Like knowing what he was thinking, Shiro took pity on him and walked to the door. "I texted him, Keith."

"But, why?" Keith said, genuinely puzzled. He didn't care that he was at James' place, but why did Shiro have to do it?

James smiled from ear to ear as Adam retreated back inside the house, and brought something sweet-smelling back in his arms. "We needed help to make you a cake, after all." He explained, and showed off the wonderful treat.

Keith's breath caught in his throat as he looked at the pastry. "For me…?"

"You didn't _actually_ think we'd forget your birthday, did you?"

Keith's lower lip quivered so he bit at it with all his might. Even after he made James upset… They were already making a cake for him. God, when did he become such a cry baby?

He willed his tears away as he uncovered the wrapping, staring down at the 'Happy Birthday Keith' written in cursive with red frosting. It looked neat– like James' handwriting. He had the best friends in the world.

"I love it… thank you all so much,"

He enjoyed when James pulled him into a hug again, and Shiro joined in from behind. He couldn't wait to eat it and share his cake with all of them. He was so grateful and happy, and his mood didn't even damper when Adam teased him again.

"Hey, you don't stink of acid anymore,"

"Shut up," Keith said with a red face, but Shiro scolded his chaotic boyfriend with a sharp call of his name.

He forced Adam into the hug for his teasing, and the alpha only grumbled softly as he reluctantly melted into their warmth. Yeah, Keith did have the best friends in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, looking at this chapter I COULD have just ended it there but... we need conflict in this story and the show must go wrong!!
> 
> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the story finally takes a turn and we finally get a bit of Shiro pov!! Hope you enjoy~

By the time Halloween came around, Keith and James had chosen their costumes, and they had decided to go trick-or-treat as firefighters, just like his dad. Shiro could tell the alpha was more grateful than ever to be spending time with his boyfriend, running around and pulling the omega by the hand.

This year Shiro didn't dress up like them, but he didn't care because Adam was with him, and he didn't dress up either. Throughout the evening, they followed behind the two younger boys, occasionally getting candy from them and talking about whatever.

He smiled when James excitedly walked up to Adam with a big grin, little brown candies cupped in his hands.

"Look, these are coffee flavored, and they smell just like you!" He said, and he presented them to him excitedly, like he'd just discovered something precious.

It was amusing to see Adam's face darken with a blush, and Shiro had to try hard not to giggle.

But the alpha took them gratefully in his hand anyway, and he said thank you with a soft expression Shiro knew all too well.

When James went back to Keith, Adam shared a couple of the coffee-flavored candies with him. "I know you're trying not to laugh, Shiro. I can practically hear what you're thinking," he said, cheeks still tinted red with embarrassment.

Shiro finally let himself chuckle at the sight as he inspected the candies in his hand. "What? Nothing's funny. Y'know, he was right– these _do_ smell exactly like you."

Adam rolled his eyes good-naturedly, and he popped them inside his mouth. "It's too bad they don't make ones that smell like rain and the outdoors," he wondered out loud.

Shiro put one of the candies in his mouth, and he rolled it over with his tongue. "Hmm. I think _you_ taste sweeter than these, though."

Adam blushed harder, and Shiro laughed when he smacked his arm in retaliation.

"You're such a dork…"

It was probably true, but Shiro didn't regret his cheesy flirting.

"You know, I think spending all this time with James and Keith has made you soft," he commented as they kept walking to the next house, trailing behind the other two.

Adam only let out a scoff, like that wasn't exactly what was totally happening, and he frowned.. "No way, Keith still honestly makes me want to tear my hair out."

"Aw, even after he apologized?" Shiro teased.

"Yes," Adam grit out, but Shiro only softened his expression.

"You'll get used to him in no time. But what about James, though?"

"James _isn't_ Keith."

And thank goodness for that– otherwise he wouldn't think Adam would have stuck around for all their adventures. He was glad that the omega was helping him get out of his shell, although he did wish he would like Keith just the same.

"Let's go get some candy apples or something before they sell out," Adam said, and he walked in front of Shiro with his red face. It was evident he was just trying to hide– and Shiro found it so cute.

He was totally down for some candy apples, though.

After they had gotten their treats and they had gone around most of the houses James and Keith wanted to go to, they started heading back to Keith's house, to see if Mr. Kogane had made them some more pumpkin pie.

Most of the other kids trick-or-treating had gone home too, and the road was left barren with a few remaining candy wrappers and fallen leaves. They walked on the edge of the corn maze, with the woods on the other side. The night probably would have looked twice as beautiful without all the clouds, but at least it looked like they were finally starting to clear out.

Shiro stopped walking when he realized Adam had slowed down unexpectedly, and he looked over his shoulder to face him.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The alpha had a hand to his temple, contorting his face like he was in pain, and Shiro's eyes suddenly widened in concern. Oh, no. Had he seen blood somewhere– maybe on the road?

He quickly rushed to his side, and steadied him with both hands. "Adam…?"

The other boy didn't look at him, and shook his head in response. "I'm fine. My head just– feels weird…"

Despite his assurance that he was alright, Shiro still used his palm to check if his skin was cold, or if he was starting to sweat. "You're still warm… do you have a headache?"

He panicked when his friend suddenly doubled over, and Shiro didn't know what to make of it. Had it been something he ate?

"Adam!? What's going on? Are you okay?"

Adam groaned, deep in his throat, and he ran both hands through his chestnut hair, like he had a migraine. He even took his glasses off, and he held it in one hand. Shiro was starting to get extremely worried. He tried to put an arm under his own to support him, but was shocked when Adam batted it away.

"Stop. I don't– I don't feel good."

"I'm just trying to help you, Adam–"

" _No,_ I mean, I think you should _leave."_

His voice came out unusually gruff and aggressive, and Shiro was confused at what was happening, feeling a pang in his heart. He couldn't have possibly been going through his rut– so what was going on?

"Adam– what are you talking about? Let me help you. You look _really_ bad–" He looked like he was in _pain–_

But the brunet had his arm stretched out, keeping his distance like he didn't want to be anywhere near Shiro. With the other hand he was covering his face, and Shiro felt like something was very wrong, and very strange. A fear slowly started rising in his gut, especially when Adam said nothing else, only panting with heavy and strained breaths.

Something was _happening_ – he smelled anxious, and confused– and Shiro didn't understand. He was making strange noises he'd never heard from the other before, and it was chilling to the bone. But he wasn't about to give up on him.

So he chanced a step forward, and reached a tentative hand toward his boyfriend.

"Adam…?"

For a minute, he seemed to calm down, but Shiro never expected to be grabbed by his arm, and for his back to collide with the dirty ground.

The wind was knocked out of him in a second, and Shiro looked up to see yellow eyes– _Adam's_ yellow eyes– glaring at him with slit pupils like he wanted to devour him.

A terrified gasp left Shiro's mouth, and another when clawed hands tried to attack at his throat. He grasped the other's wrist before he could do so, and gaped when he saw Adam's snarling fangs, like he was trying to tear his flesh out. Shiro felt his blood run cold at the sight, and he yelled in a panic, trying to get him off.

"Adam! Stop! What are you doing!?"

But Adam didn't respond– he didn't look like he understood him at all– and he only kept trying to sink his teeth into his throat. He was just strong enough to hold the other back, so he couldn't get the chance. Shiro's eyes tracked down to the wrapped wound on his arm. The bite.

He was… Adam was a _werewolf._

But he didn't have time to fully process the information, because he heard hasty footsteps coming in their direction, and Adam's attention was pulled away to something else.

Shiro twisted his head around to see his friends, frozen with terror at the sight, and a feeling of horror washed over his body as he did so.

" _No no no, Keith, James, get back!"_ He screamed, but Adam lunged at the two before he could finish saying it, and Shiro moved quicker than he ever had in his life.

He wrapped his arms around Adam's torso and neck before he could slash out with his claws, and brought the alpha down to his knees. But he didn't stop his squirming, and those claws ripped through Shiro's jacket, pointy enough to cut through his forearms. The sudden burst of pain made Shiro's heart race and he pulled him back towards the grass, so he wouldn't hurt Adam on the concrete.

He rolled them over to get a better grip, and his boyfriend thrashed aggressively underneath his hold, snarling violently like an animal. Shiro felt tears brimming in his eyes as he pinned him down. He had to stop! He had to turn back!

"Adam– it's me, Takashi!! Please wake up– it's us!!"

Shiro heard James and Keith talking behind him, and he wished they would go away, because it wasn't _safe_.

"Shiro– you can't _stay here_!" Keith yelled, and it was raspy and laced with uncertainty.

But– he _had_ to, because Adam wasn't himself– and he was going to hurt someone else if he did–

"We should call your dad, Keith!" Said James' worried voice.

"No!" Shiro yelled, and he could barely hear himself over Adam's growling and his own panting. "There's nothing they can do– any adult will only hurt him!"

The beat that passed confirmed that they knew it was true, too. They couldn't trust them– and it will only end up with Adam in worse shape than if they didn't call for help.

"But, Shiro– what do we do?"

What _could_ they do? Adam had to turn back at some point– or maybe he could exhaust him until he did. But Shiro couldn't stay here all night– and his arms were already starting to get worn out.

"I… I don't know. But we can't just leave him like this alone!"

Could they tie him up, perhaps? But how would they do that without someone else potentially getting hurt?? It was painful to see Adam beneath him, squirming and trying to bite him because that's all his instincts told him to do.

He tried releasing calming pheromones, but that only seemed to work a little bit, and Shiro was starting to grow tired. They were running out of options.

The place where he'd been injured by Adam was wet with blood now, and it was seeping through his jacket and trickling down to his hand.

Shiro noticed Adam was struggling a bit less, and sweat was starting to bead over his features. His pupils were dilating from their slits, and Shiro swore that for a millisecond, they turned brown again as he looked at his injury.

Adam twisted his head around, breathing harshly against Shiro's grip, and he drew his brows together tightly in obvious discomfort. And Shiro understood. 

Using his teeth, he raised his sleeve back up towards his shoulder, and he let more blood flow freely down his arm, while Adam squirmed and wriggled much less, his efforts becoming weaker in a matter of seconds. Adam's real self was fighting and reacting to the blood, and it seemed like he was almost getting through his wolf-self.

Shiro felt dreadful– using Adam's own phobia against him like this– but it was better than seeing him trying to hurt his friends without him realizing it.

The alpha finally stopped struggling as he went pliant in his arms, and he closed his eyes, breaths coming out soft and tired. Shiro let him go when he knew he was unconscious.

His vision distorted with tears, so he blinked them away. He slowly stood up off Adam, and he turned to lean on a nearby tree. Keith was still watching him warily, and James looked absolutely horrified by what had happened. He lowered the sleeve of his jacket again to stop the rest of the blood coming from his wound.

A comforting hand landed on his back, and Keith gazed at him with worried eyes.

"Shiro… Are you okay?"

Shiro shook his head, but he shrugged it off. "I think we should get him back to his house. So he won't escape and hurt anyone else."

"But how do you know he won't wake up? You know it's not gonna last that long, Shiro… maybe five minutes, at the most."

"We have to _try._ Or I suppose we could wait until–"

A gasp was heard from behind them, and the two boys swiveled around to see Adam waking up. Shiro immediately tensed. Oh, no.

"James–?" Keith said, because he was the closest to the alpha. But he didn't seem scared, and he only knelt down to look at their friend.

"Wait– his claws are gone. Adam?"

Shiro immediately ran to his side, and he gently lifted Adam's head off the dirt. He was right– Adam had regular fingernails again, and when he fluttered his eyes open weakly, he could see that they were back to their normal brown.

Relief flooded Shiro like a tsunami, and he held his boyfriend closer to his chest. "Adam… are you okay?"

He mumbled something that could have been his name, but then he closed his eyes again. "M' so tired…"

A smile twitched on Shiro's lips, and he nodded his head in understanding. "It's okay. Just sleep. We'll get you home, okay?" He was fine. Adam would be fine.

xxx

Shiro had been completely anxious when they were visiting Adam, and he could tell that the rest of his friends were anxious too, but they were too afraid to say it out loud. The only one that didn't hide it was James, as he always wore his heart on his sleeve.

Adam hadn't woken up for the rest of the night– too exhausted to even walk– and his parents had been so worried for him when they took him to his house, arms wrapped around Shiro's shoulders and on his back.

They had told them the truth– that their son had passed out because of his trigger, but their explanation had ended at that. Shiro didn't know if his boyfriend wanted them to know the rest of the story– so he concluded that that was Adam's decision to make.

The alpha looked unnaturally fragile in his bed without his glasses, covers drawn up his waist and expression peaceful without his usual pout. Shiro thrummed his fingers against the mattress as he waited for him to wake up.

Keith was already getting impatient, and he could tell by his crossed arms and foot repeatedly tapping against the wooden floor. "What's taking so long? Shouldn't he have gotten up hours ago?"

Shiro hummed thoughtfully as he watched Adam's chest rise and fall. "I think his transformation must have taken all of his energy away…"

"But it's been _hours._ Maybe you should just kiss him, Shiro."

The tip of Shiro's ears went hot at the suggestion, so he said nothing.

"...Or I could slap him in the face."

James looked up at Keith from his chair with a scandalized look. "Keith, no! If you were in his position, he wouldn't do that to you."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…"

The three boys whipped their heads back at Adam, who's eyelids were starting to flutter open, and they gasped.

"Adam!!"

Even in his tired state, he accepted the hugs from Shiro and James at either side of him, and he hugged them back with just as much force, taking in the sweet, comforting smell of the omegas. When he looked up at Keith, his voice returned to a deadpan tone. "What's Keith doing in my room?"

"Hey! I was kidding about the slapping, okay?" Keith said, a pinkness rising in his cheeks.

But Adam smiled anyway, and he accepted the glasses James gave him with a thanks.

"You almost tried to _kill us_ yesterday, you want to tell us what that was about?"

"Keith…" James said, but he looked to Adam with a concerned face, and the alpha sighed.

"No, it's fine. I'm really sorry about yesterday... I'm extremely lucky that you guys were there."

"So you _did_ know you were trying to kill us?"

Adam shook his head grimly, and he pulled his knees closer to his chest. "I only remember parts. Honestly, it felt like I was in somebody else's body… like somebody was controlling me."

Keith dipped his head, and he knitted his brows together. "But you weren't in someone else's body. You were…"

"–A werewolf, I know," Adam finished, and the word sat heavy and tense in the air.

"But you didn't last the entire night transformed. Do you think it'll happen again?" James asked, worry filling his eyes.

"It's possible– I don't think I was completely affected because my wound wasn't so bad. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see…"

"We'll be here for you if it does," Shiro said, and a rare smile formed on Adam's face.

"Thanks, Shiro. All of you. For helping me get home safe."

Shiro couldn't help himself, and he pulled the alpha into another hug, which he quickly reciprocated. Adam pulled James in too, and he playfully ruffled the brunet's hair.

"What was that?" Keith said, with his hand cupped against his ear and a smug grin on his face. "I need you to repeat that."

Shiro sighed at his friend's words, but Adam instead rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up, Kogane."

But the younger alpha only plopped himself on the bed next to James. "Nah, I don't think I will. Hey Shiro, you finally got that werewolf boyfriend you always wanted!" He snickered, and Shiro's face flushed a deep red.

_"Keith!!"_

He knew they shouldn't have watched Twilight together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this was definitely not where I expected the story to go when I first started thinking abt writing this fic, but I figured it could be totally exciting! I hope you guys like werewolf Adam as much as I do haha~
> 
> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!! This one is shorter than the rest but I promise it has lots of fluff! Enjoy~

"You're not as stressed about this as I'd expect you to be," Shiro said, as Adam walked around his room while he sat in his rolling chair.

The alpha was hanging more photographs of them that Shiro had printed, and he took the liberty in decorating his room with them, a habit he'd grown used to ever since they started dating. Shiro wasn't much of an interior decorator, and Adam liked everything to look nice.

He stuck a mini clothespin in his mouth as he hung the next one on a string. "Do I ever stress about anything, Shiro?"

Well, he had a point there. Adam _never_ stressed about anything.

Things had pretty much gone back to normal since Adam's transformation on Halloween, and the alpha had acted like nothing was wrong the next couple of days. His apathy worried Shiro, a little, but he guessed if it didn't worry Adam, it shouldn't have to bother him, either. He said he would take care of his little werewolf problem if and when the next full moon rolled around, and Shiro had faith in his boyfriend.

He didn't even notice when Adam circled around his chair, and plopped down in his lap.

"A-Adam??"

A heat rushed to Shiro's face, and he liked the warmth of his alpha sitting on him. Adam was wearing that same, calm expression he always wore– but a smirk was tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You need to chill out, Shiro… It's okay. Just breathe…" He leaned forward to nuzzle the side of his face, and Shiro closed his eyes as he was scented. It always felt so relaxing when Adam did it, and it always managed to make goosebumps appear on Shiro's skin.

When he was smelling like coffee beans and fresh parchment too, the alpha pulled back, and he smiled so softly that Shiro wanted to be kissed _right now._ So he eagerly leaned in for a kiss– just as the same time Adam leaned back with a teasing grin.

He was so _mean!_

Shiro resisted the urge to whine, and he tried again, because he was anything but a quitter.

But the second time he went for it, Adam moved his head and kissed his cheek instead, and Shiro let out a dramatic gasp.

_"Adaaaaam!"_

The brunet laughed softly as he held the back of his neck, and finally brought a hand up to cup his cheek. "Okay, okay, I'll stop messing around."

Shiro purred happily as Adam pressed his lips to his, and they shared a soft kiss.

Until the door swung open violently and Keith peered inside. "Do you guys want watermelon?"

Adam unfortunately pulled away from Shiro almost instantly, and his face turned to the exact color of a tomato. "Keith!!? Get _OUT!!"_

"Geez, I'm only asking cause Jamie's mom asked me to…" He grumbled, hand still on the doorknob.

"I don't care! Go away!"

"But this is _Shiro's_ room."

Adam slumped towards Shiro's shoulder, hiding his face there in embarrassment. Shiro could only face Keith with a small smile. "Watermelon would be great."

"Okay, I'll see you downstairs!"

And with that he turned on his heel, disappearing and shutting the door behind him.

Shiro laughed softly at Adam on his lap. "Do you still hate him?"

"He's still a gremlin…"

Shiro only kissed his temple to comfort his pouty boyfriend.

xxx

"Hey, Jamie. That looks so good," Keith commented as James passed around their tea on a tray. The omega was always so good at decorating, just like everything else he did– and their drinks looked wonderful the way he'd made them.

He kissed his cheek as he stole one of the cups, and his face dusted with a pretty pink. "Did Shiro and Adam say they were gonna come down?"

"Yeah, after they stopped making out," Keith expressed with his tongue sticking out in mock disgust, and he took the straw into his mouth. The tea tasted sweet on his taste buds.

"You didn't burst in on purpose did you?"

A mischievous grin spread on Keith's face. "You know me too well, Jamie."

The brunet jutted his lip out in a disapproving way, but he ignored Keith's antics to put some watermelon on a plate. "Well, I hope they come down soon. Adam said he was gonna teach me how to play baseball."

"Meanwhile I'm gonna throw a ball to Kosmo outside..."

He didn't get a chance to though, because at that moment Adam came downstairs with a death glare directed at him.

"Oh. Enjoy your smooching session?" Keith teased, as he walked around him to get some napkins.

"It was _great_." Adam grit out sarcastically between his teeth, with extra enunciation on the 't'. His annoyed expression only amused Keith further.

"Good to hear. This is yours," He said, and he thrust the plate with the watermelon in his hands.

Shiro came down a bit later with a pleased smile on his face. "The garden looks amazing, James. I should really thank your mom for setting all the tables up for the party."

A proud grin formed on James' lips, accompanied by a blush. "It's what she does best!"

Keith snagged a couple of extra plates from the kitchen's island, and he grabbed on to James' hand. "Great. Now let's go, because I'm _starving."_

xxx

Keith happily ate his watermelon, as he and James swung their feet to rock the hanging hammock chair. They barely fit together thanks for their small sizes, but it was perfect and snug, and provided the perfect view of Shiro and Adam throwing a frisbee at Kosmo.

He giggled as Adam almost trampled over Kosmo's quick feet, and he took another bite of his snack. James was rambling on about a story he'd probably said before, but Keith had accidentally stopped listening a while ago.

He shook his head out of the clouds and forced his eyes back to the brunet. "What was that?"

His boyfriend pouted cutely, and he furrowed his eyebrows together. "Keith, I've told you this story like five times!" He squeaked.

Keith rested his head on his shoulder apologetically, and nuzzled the space there. "Sorry, sorry. I just like listening to you talk."

Jamie hummed suspiciously, but it quickly turned into laughter. "It's fine– I think I've grown bored of it too."

He took another bite of his watermelon, and Keith watched intently at how vibrantly red it made his already pink lips. They were so perfect… and Keith wanted to kiss them so bad! But he had to wait.

"Jamie?" He asked, still nuzzling him close.

"What's up?"

"When are you gonna let me bite you?"

James blushed furiously, and he giggled softly. "Keeeeith. Don't talk about that!" He said, but still looked at Keith like he was the sun.

"Can I do it for my birthday?" Keith asked, only half-joking. James leaned his head to rest it on Keith's.

"Your birthday already passed."

"Then for your birthday?"

James raised his eyes to the sky thoughtfully, and if Keith had a tail he'd swore he'd be wagging it right now.

"Maybe when I'm eighteen. Then I'll think about it, okay?" He said warmly with a smile, and took another bite of his watermelon.

Keith closed his eyes and nuzzled his boyfriend harder. He absolutely couldn't wait until that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you got this far, thanks so much for reading my fic!! I didn't want to delve too much into angst territory because I wanted this to be a lighthearted, happy fic, so I saved all of Adam's werewolf stuff for the next part of childhood friends au!! I hope you enjoyed!! ^^


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